Distributor of stored poles for ski-lifts



A. FAYOLLE March 16, 1965 DISTRIBUTOR OF STORED POLES FOR SKI-LIFTS Filed March 29, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 16, 1965 A. FAYOLLE 3,173,532

DISTRIBUTOR 0F STORED POLES FOR SKI-LIFTS Filed March 29. 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 riaz March 16, 1965 FAYOLLE 3,173,532

DISTRIBUTOR OF STORED POLES FOR SKI-LIFTS Filed March 29, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3,173,532 DISTRIBUTOR OF STORED POLES FOR SKI-LIFTS Airn Fayolle, 4 Rue Louise-Michel, Grenoble, France Filed Mar. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 183,667 Claims priority, application France, Mar. 31, 1961, 41,410, Patent 1,285,176 6 Claims. (Cl. 198-20) The working of a ski-lift requires nowadays the presence of a person giving out the poles or platter bars to each successive passenger. Such a person has to take out of a store of poles or platter bars, the pole which is to be used first, to give it to the user and then engage it on the driving cable through the agency of a handle generally provided for such a purpose.

My invention has for its object to replace such a person by a mechanical distributor acting in the same way.

To this end, the distributor includes in combination:

A control member assuming a compound reciprocatory forward and rearward movement with a view to releasing the foremost platter bar to be used and to separate it from the other stored platter bars.

Conventional means adapted to ensure the engagement of said platter bar on the driving cable under control of an abutment rigid with the control member.

An electric circuit including in particular an electric motor adapted to drive the control member and a switch actuated by the user.

I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example and by no means in a limiting sense a preferred embodiment of such an improved platter bar distributor. In said drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are elevational side and front views thereof.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a detail.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are a diagrammatic side view and a view from above of the distributor.

In FIG. 1, A designates a store of platter bars carried by the frame of the ski-lift, B designates the ski-lift cable and C a platter bar with its seat D whereas FIG. 4 shows at E the grid preventing the skier from reaching the platter bars in the store and FIG. 5 shows at F the rings fitting the platter bars to the cable B, at G the upper transverse members rigid with each pole and resting freely on the slideways H of the store, and I themeans retaining the foremost bar and adapted to be released in a conventional manner to allow said bar to be driven through the ring F by the cable B.

The control mechanism includes an arm 1 forming the control member, said arm being adapted to slide horizontally in a carriage 2, which latter is adapted to slide vertically in a frame 3. To said frame are revolvably secured two pinions 4 and 5, of which one is driven into rotation by a motor 6 associated with a speed reducer and a brake while an adjustable friction member limits the torque supplied. The two pinions engage a common chain 7 of which one link 8 is rigid with a spindle 9, revolvably carried inside the arm 1. When the pinion 4 is driven by the motor 6, the end of the arm 1 moves along the flat curve, the shape of which is shown at 10 in FIG. 1. A cam 11, secured to the chain 7, opens a normally closed switch 12, through the agency of the lever 13, when the movable system constituted by the carriage 2 and the arm 1, enters the position illustrated in FIG. I. Said switch 12 is inserted in series in the circuit feeding the winding of the relay 14, controlling the motor 6. Said relay is closed under the action of a push button 15, shunting both the self-energizing switch of the relay and the controlled switch 12. The relay remains energized through its self-energizing switch, and said switch produces a stoppage of the motor. An eccentric member 16 keyed to the shaft of the motor and speed reducer 6, produces an United States Patent C) 3,173,532 Patented Mar. 16, 1965 angular reciprocation of the bell crank 17 pivotally secured to the frame 3.

Lastly a lever 18 also pivotally secured to the frame 3, carries a hook 19 adapted to draw the rod controlling the shifting of the successive platter bars C onto the skilift. Said lever 18 is adapted to be urged downwardly by a push member 28, actuated by the stop 20, secured to the carriage 2, whenever the latter enters the lowermost point of its stroke. Said lever 18 is returned into its inoperative position by the spring 21.

The whole arrangement described is suspended at the lower station of the ski-lift through a rotula 22, in a manner such that the end of the arm 1 may engage, inside the platter bar carrying store, the gap between the first platter bar which is to be removed and to be given to the first skier taking the ski-life and the stock of platter bars waiting for their turn in the store as soon as the link 8 of the chain engages the upper pinion 5.

On the other hand, the mechanism is secured to the lower section of the lower station through the agency of the connecting rod 23, bearing against the bell crank 17, and of the arm 24, bearing against the rotula 25 secured to the floor of the station.

The lengths of the connecting rod 23 and of the arm 24 are adjusted so as to give a slight slope to the mechanism whereby the arm 1, when it has engaged the rear side of the foremost platter bar to be distributed shifts the latter away from the other platter bars in the stored stock during its subsequent downward movement which ensures thus the proper setting of the foremost platter bar for it to be grasped by the user. Said slope also provides the stress required for keeping permanently the roller at the end of the bell crank 17, in contact with the eccentric member 16.

The direction of movement of the pinions 4 and 5, is that shown by the arrows drawn in FIG. 1.

The operation of said distributor is as follows:

The apparatus is first stopped by the depression of the pusher knob 15 which has for its result an energization of the relay 14 and the starting of the motor 6. Consequently the arm 1, begins sinking and recedes with reference to the stored platter bars when the chain link 8 passes round the pinion 4. It rises then until the link 8 engages the pinion 5. The arm 1 now moves towards the poles and engages the rear side of the foremost pole after which it moves with reference to those poles which are to remain transiently in store. The operation of said link, is furthered by the slight rocking movement given to the mechanism by the movement of the bell crank 17 controlled by the eccentric member 16, and engaging the connecting rod 23, when the foremost platter rod opposes a resistance to the control arm 1 the frictional member 26 becomes operative and the downward movement of the arm 1 stops so as to cut out any abnormal stress whereas the slight rocking movement of the eccentric member 16 continues which furthers the disengagement of the platter bars. When the disengagement has been obtained, the stress breaking the downward movement of the arm 1, ceases and the link 8 may continue its movement. When the cam 11 has reached the position illustrated its shifts the lever 13, so as to open the switch 12, which leads to the deenergization of the relay 14 and to a stoppage of the motor 6. At the same time, the platter bar which has been released by the arm 1, pushes the lever 27 round its vertical pivot, whereby the intermediate pusher member 28 is urged into alignment with the push member 20 and the lever 18.

The apparatus is thus ready to operate and can wait for a skier to use it.

When the skier arrives at the station, he takes hold of the pole shifted forwardly by the apparatus, assumes the position required for starting and depresses the pusher knob 15.

shifted between an inoperative position and an operative position for which it is adapted to be urged by the thrust member into engagement with the firstmentioned lever to operate the latter just after the control member has star-ted on its path, and make the foremost platter bar grasped by the user move with the ski-lift cable and means whereby a platter 'bar, While in its position urged away \fil'O'ITl. the other stored bars by the control member, shifts the intermediate lever into its operative position.

6. In an apparatus for the automatic distribution of platter bars out of a store of platter bars at the entrance of a ski-lift including a movable cable adapted to carry along the platter bars and means for securing transiently the platter bars to the cable, the combination of a movable control member adapted to move in a vertical plane along a closed path provided with a downwardly directed section passing through a position of rest for which the control member urges the foremost platter bar away from the other stored bars to be grasped by a skier, an endless chain carrying the control member and adapted to drive said control member along its path out of its position of rest and back thereto to shift the then foremost platter bar away from the other stored bars, a

chain wheel controlling the endless chain, a stationary electric motor, adapted to drive the chain wheel, a circuit controlling the motor and including a switch, a relay controlling said circuit and including a switch, an auxiliaxry circuit adapted to energize the (relay and including a further switch adapted to be operated by the skier when he has grasped the foremost platter bar, a cam carried by the endless chain, a lever controlled by said cam and adapted to open the first-mentioned switch and deenergize the motor at the moment at which the chain has returned the control member into its position of [rest and means controlled by the control member just after it has started on its path and controlling the means securing the platter bars to the cable to make the foremost platter bar grasped by the user move with the ski-lift cable.

No references cited.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM B. LA BORDE, ERNEST A. FALLER, JR.,

Examiners. 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTION OF PLATTER BARS OUT OF A STORE OF PLATTER BARS AT THE ENTRANCE OF A SKI-LIFT INCLUDING A MOVING CABLE ADAPTED TO CARRY ALONG THE PLATTER BARS AND MEANS FOR SECURING TRANSIENTLY THE PLATTER BARS TO THE CABLE, THE COMBINATION OF A MOVABLE CONTROL MEMBER ADAPTED TO MOVE IN A VERTICAL PLANE ALONG A CLOSED PATH PROVIDED WITH A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED SECTION PASSING THROUGH A POSITION OF REST FOR WHICH THE CONTROL MEMBER URGES THE FOREMOST PLATTER BAR AWAY FROM THE OTHER STORED BARS TO BE GRASPED BY A SKIER, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR ADAPTED TO DRIVE SAID CONTROL MEMBER ALONG ITS PATH OUT OF ITS POSITION OF REST AND BACK THERETO SHIFT THE THEN FOREMOST PLATTER BAR AWAY FROM THE OTHER STORED BARS, A CIRCUIT CONTROLLING THE MOTOR AND INCLUDING A SWITCH ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED BY THE SKIER WHEN HE HAS GRAPSED THE FOREMOST PLATTER BAR, MEANS DRIVEN WITH CONTROL MEMBER AS IT RETURNS INTO ITS POSITION OF REST AND BREAKING AT SUCH A MOMENT SAID CIRCUIT TO STOP THE MOVEMENT OF THE CONTROL MEMBER, AND MEANS CONTROLLED BY THE CONTROL MEMBER JUST AFTER IT HAS STARTED ON ITS PATH AND CONTROLLING THE MEANS SECURING THE PLATTER BARS TO THE CABLE TO MAKE THE FOREMOST PLATTER BAR GRASPED BY THE USER MOVE WITH THE SKI-LIFT CABLE. 